Tour the World…From your Home
For many older people, their dreams of travelling in retirement get put on hold. Limited budgets, caregiving, mobility restrictions, or simply being too busy can easily interfere with travel plans and dreams. Luckily, technology makes it possible to travel around the world without leaving home – no passports, no language issues, no flight delays!
Over the last few years, Senior Planet has teamed up with Discover Live to bring live tours from places like Buenos Aires, Paris, and Delhi – all through Zoom!
What to Expect
When you attend a tour, you’ll join a large and lively group of fellow travelers. A Senior Planet trainer and the Discover Live team will kick off by sharing where the tour will take place and what tech we’ll be exploring after the tour concludes (more on that later!). The tour guide then takes over, and you’ll follow their camera as they walk around the tour destination in real time.
Exploring Stonegate Street in York, England
Local knowledge
Each tour guide is local and brings their own flair to the program. They share historical facts, what it’s like to live there, and the popular food, drinks, and activities from the region. Both the guides and the Discover Live team also answer questions in the chat – though sometimes the group is so big they can’t get to everyone!
“Discover Live is on a mission to make world travel accessible to all. We have been taking Senior Planet members on LIVE, virtual tours for over 3 years!,” says Tricia Norton, Cofounder & Chief Marketing Officer at Discover Live. “We make it easy for people to explore their ancestry, take pre-travel planning tours and learn new cultures. Participation keeps growing as does the list of destinations we cover.”
The Tech Angle
The tours last an hour – but stick around! After each tour, a Senior Planet trainer demonstrates a technology tool related to travel. This could be virtual museum tours (like Lisbon’s Fado Museum), apps that can help you while you’re traveling (like the DeepL translation app), or apps that can help you plan a trip (like Google Gemini).
When and where is the next tour?
The tours typically occur on the first and last Wednesday of every month from 11am – 12:15pm ET. Next up is Heidelberg, Germany!
For the full list of upcoming programs, visit https://cms.seniorplanet.org/travel
On that same page, you can also find recordings of past tours. But be sure to watch them soon! Each recording is only available for a limited time.
Your Turn
What locations are on your bucket list? Share in the comments below and we might just visit those places on an upcoming tour!
Deirdre Lee serves as Director of Virtual Program Experiences for Senior Planet from AARP (formerly managing the organization’s licensing program). Based in Denver, she oversees Senior Planet’s online programs as well as the free hotline for tech or Senior Planet questions (available at 888-713-3495).
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Comments
A friend told me about AARP’s virtual tours and said that I could see the ones that I have missed. After too much time trying to get even a list, I am giving up.
Try calling our hotline at 888-713-3495, M-F 9am-8pm EDT / Sat 9am-2pm EDT
These wonderful tours are from 8am to 9:15am Pacific time. Not everyone is available, especially if they work or have caretaking responsibilities. Would it be possible to record these tours and have them available for playback for members anytime during the following week?
Thank you,
Susan
Recordings are available for a limited time on https://cms.seniorplanet.org/travel (about halfway down the page). Check that page regularly to see the ones you missed.
Please consider visiting South Korea. I doubt many folks think of that country but to a dwindling number of veterans, it still holds meaning. This country came back from complete devastation of the war years (early 1950s) to take its rightful place as a modern nation. The once-flattened capital city of Seoul now abounds with soaring highrises, traffic-filled freeways, and a populace never too busy to place hand to heart and say “thank you” to any American veteran. Check it out for a surprise.
Cinque Terre, Italy
any where in Greece
any where in Canada
Thank you for letting me know that these tours are available even after the specific time. I do a Bone Builder classes ev Wed during this same time frame. Now I am excited to know i can still view it. I have not been on a plane in over 30 years! Now I am a caregiver. I luv, luv, luv Sr Planet.